Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Bad or badly?

I have been mulling this over in my head all evening. I am convinced I fell asleep from 3:50 - 4:20. Bottom line is that Rebecca was correct. Actually, both Rebeccas are correct.

I feel bad.
-Feel is being used as a linking verb, not an action verb. That makes "bad" a subject complement/the predicate adjective. Bad is describing "me," not the verb.

I feel badly.
-Badly is an adverb describing an action verb. This usage implies that I have done a poor job of feeling something (fur, for example).

What makes this situation so confusing is that there is a list of words that could be either action or linking. These are called resultative verbs. Verbs related to the five senses often function in this way. They are: grow, look, prove, remain, smell, sound, taste, turn, stay, get, appear, feel.

And there you have it. I do know my grammar, but clearly was in a brain fog.

Let's do something creative and fun with this. Here's that list again. Choose one of the words with which to begin a sentence as a command. As each of us adds a line, we will see the makings of a collaborative poem.

Grow! For the sun caresses your sweet limbs and dew drops glisten atop your leaves. Look! There are miracles all around you that you've never noticed before. Prove Remain Smell Sound Taste Turn Stay! You make this world a better place. Get Appear Feel

Grow! For the sun caresses your sweet limbs and dew drops glisten atop your leaves. Look! There are miracles all around you that you've never noticed before. Prove! That you are willing to see the value in all that surrounds you. Remain Smell Sound Taste Turn Stay! You make this world a better place. Get Appear Feel

Grow! For the sun caresses your sweet limbs and dew drops glisten atop your leaves.Look! There are miracles all around you that you've never noticed before.Prove! That you are willing to see the value in all that surrounds you.RemainSmellSound! it is beginning to sound like fun.TasteTurnStay! You make this world a better place.GetAppearFeel

Grow! For the sun caresses your sweet limbs and dew drops glisten atop your leaves.Look! There are miracles all around you that you've never noticed before.Prove! That you are willing to see the value in all that surrounds you.RemainSmellSound! it is beginning to sound like fun.TasteTurnStay! You make this world a better place.GetAppearFeel! Because every day brings new experience into your live.

Grow! For the sun caresses your sweet limbs and dew drops glisten atop your leaves.Look! There are miracles all around you that you've never noticed before.Prove! That you are willing to see the value in all that surrounds you.Remain! Remain strong and move forward despite any obstacles.SmellSound! it is beginning to sound like fun.TasteTurnStay! You make this world a better place.GetAppearFeel! Because every day brings new experience into your live.